


Code of Ethics: My Moral Compass Leads Me To You

by SerenelySweetExpress



Category: GOT7, 방탄소년단 | Bangtan Boys | BTS
Genre: Alternate Universe - Bar/Pub, Angst, Dark Past, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Homelessness, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, Jeon Jungkook Is Bad at Feelings, Kim Taehyung | V Is a Sweetheart, M/M, Multi, Poverty, Slow Burn, bar tender, onesided Vhope, sad thoughts, social worker AU, unethical conduct
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-24
Updated: 2018-12-24
Packaged: 2019-09-26 12:59:17
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,641
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17142197
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SerenelySweetExpress/pseuds/SerenelySweetExpress
Summary: The Code of Ethics states that social workers must maintain clear boundaries to assure professional integrity and responsibility.Taehyung was as professional as they came…until the moment he fell right in front of a man with disdain in his eyes and a snarl of displeasure.The boundaries weren’t so clear anymore.(the social work AU that no one really asked for but was heavily needed)





	Code of Ethics: My Moral Compass Leads Me To You

**Author's Note:**

> I haven't seen any social work AU for this fandom and specifically for this pairing so I thought it would be interesting to give it a go. The idea had always been there... as a Social Work major, I thought it would be cool to see a career au that wasn't really common. Came up with the idea in the middle of class when discussing what NOT to do as a social worker lmao. 
> 
> Hope you all enjoy~

“Sorry!” Taehyung yelled out as he barely bypassed a fancy suited clad women holding hot coffee. He took a bite of his waffle, his fingers turning red from the cold bite New York City air provided.

 

Taking a NyQuil the night before work was a big mistake. He had gotten sick the start of the weekend giving him the weekend to recover. He’d had dreamless nights, and for Taehyung that was rare. If getting sick meant popping pills to make his nights less-restless he’d take enough to put him to deep sleep.

 

Commuting was something Taehyung had always enjoyed. Catching the bus that dropped him right in front of his agency after 13 stops allowed him to slowly wash away the sleep, observe other regular commuters. Like the old lady that sat on the bus stop benches. The same spot every day, with her teared up duffel bag filled with all sorts of knick-knacks. For a week she hadn’t come to the stop, and it had bothered Taehyung much to his liking. He tried to not think about her, but he was on edge. She came back the following week reclaiming her spot, her duffel bag at her side. The only change he noticed was the pink ribbon that tied her gray thin hair into a small bun.

 

Taehyung was relieved, he didn’t like unexpected change, preferred routines and order.

 

The irony was that his career brought him the unexpected quit frequently.

 

He sprinted towards the automatic glass doors, backpack bouncing along. The smell of coffee greeted Taehyung as he came to a stop at the front desk.

 

“This doesn’t look good on your record”

 

“I’m not late”

 

“25 minutes late” Jinyoung gave out a little ‘tisk’ as he bite his pen, tilting his head as eyed his laptop screen. “What a pity, you were off to a great start this month”

 

Taehyung glared as he ran his hands through, light brown hair. He knew his hair was a mess, a little too long and shaggy for his parents as well as Jinyoung’s liking.

 

Jinyoung sighed as he stood up and leaned over the counter, tugging at his undone tie.

 

“You’re lucky Hoesok has a soft spot for your ass, or you’d be done for” Jinyoung went about fixing his silky navy blue tie, hands grazing the back of his neck as he tucked the tie inside the crisp of his collar.

 

“Hyung likes all of us, he gave you extra vacation days when you asked for it”

 

“Sure, but he likes your ass the best” Jinyoung tucked the tie inside Taehyung’s sweater vest. With a pat to his shoulder, Jinyoung sat back down. “Get going, I’ll see if I can make it from 25 to 15”

 

Taehyung grinned, grabbing on to the straps of his backpack “Hmm, it looks like you prefer my ass more”

 

“Don’t push it kid, your ass is nothing compared to Jaebum’s”

 

“Ha I’ll believe it when I see it!” Taehyung chuckled as he made his way into the elevator.

 

* * *

 

“Kim Taehyung!” came a roaring voice from down the hall.

 

“Come to my office you brat!” Taehyung could hear giggles and chuckles from the other staff members. He didn’t need to look over his cubical to know that Seokjin was trying with all his might not to belt out laughing.

 

Taehyung stood up, fixing his sweater vest. He rolled his eyes and said smugly

 

“I hope your lunch suddenly doesn’t disappear from the fridge hyung”

 

“That better not be a threat” came a voice from behind the thin wall.

 

Taehyung leaned over his desk, peeking over the divider, eyes shifting with mischievousness, eyebrows raising.

 

“Take it as you will” he replied back with a grin.

 

“KIM TAEHYUNG!” Taehyung startled by the shrill of his name, jumped.

 

“The director’s gonna give you an ear full kid” Seokjin smirked as Taehyung grimaced heading down the hall. Seokjin knew if it were anyone else, they’d be in serious trouble. Knew if Jinyoung were to be late, he’d have to kiss his vacation day’s goodbye. Jung Hoesok was a reasonable man that treated his staff fairly. He would always greet them with a smile while handing out steaming hot coffees and a bags of croissant. It wasn’t that he treated anyone cruelly, he just treated Taehyung a little better, dotted on the boy like an older brother would to a younger sibling.

 

He tried not to question what those lingering looks directed towards Taehyung meant during conference meetings. Didn’t try to compare the fondness in Hoesok’s eyes when Taehyung was emotionally drained from a case to the fondness in Jinyoung’s voice when he’d talk about the mysterious Jaebum.

 

Seokjin wasn’t one to meddle, call him a romantic but he was a firm believer in fate. Everything happened for a reason and if Hoesok and Taehyung didn’t happen, then something else was meant too.

 

Feeling the sudden vibration of his phone against his wooden desk, he read the incoming text

 

“I know we just met, but care to join me for dinner? drinks on me ”

 

“Huh…didn’t see this coming”

 

“sorry if this all seems to forward…”

 

Life was unexpected like that he supposed.

 

* * *

 

“What’s going on Taehyung?”

 

“Nothing, just caught something during the weekend, took a NyQuil and over slept”

 

Hoesok frowned from behind an oak desk, legs crossed his right foot bobbing, the sunlight from the window reflecting against his sleek black dress shoes.

 

If there was one thing everyone knew about the executive director, it was his tendency to care about his staff. But if there was one thing everyone except Taehyung knew about said director, it was his tendency to overly care about Taehyung.

 

“You should have not come to work, if you were going to be late” Hoesok said giving Taehyung a look filled with displeasure.

 

“Now, why would I miss a day of work? The world needs me hyung!” Taehyung grinned, as he reached for one of many bear figurines placed variously around his office. The one he held was one of his favorite. A customized bear figurine of Hoesok, a gift Taehyung had given him for his 24th birthday. To say Hoesok was speechless upon opening the present was an underestimate. It was the only figurine that was placed on his desk, right next to the picture frame of his family.

 

“Are you listening to me?”

 

“Huh?”

 

“Taehyung, I’m worried. This is what? the 4th time you got sick this month?” Taehyung shrugged moving the stiff arms of the figurine.

 

“We talked about self-care, what are you doing about that?”

 

“Well, I’m eating and breathing, I’m alive aren’t I?” Taehyung remarked.

 

“That’s not self-care, that’s basic human needs” Hoesok frustrated, leaned forward to rest his elbows on the desk. Right palm under his chin Hoesok went stiff as he stared at Taehyung.

 

“Want to do something this weekend? We can get the staff for a night out”

 

“No…its fine, I’m sure everyone has plans” Taehyung said off-handedly, without much thought.

 

“I don’t”

 

Taehyung stiffened, not meeting Hoesok’s eyes. “I think I’ll just catch up on some shows, I don’t feel like going out hyung”

 

“You’ve always liked going out” Hoesok stated, watching Taehyung fiddle with the figurine. He was trying to avoid this conversation Hoesok knew. Like every other time for the past month, when the topic of self-care was brought up Taehyung became distant. He came to work, his voice oozing out enthusiasm, smiled as big as the sun, but his movements were slow. When Taehyung thought no one was looking, he’d let his shoulders drupe, rub at his once lively, but now dull eyes. These alone were clear and all too familiar signs for Hoesok.

 

Taehyung was starting to burnout.

 

And what further concerned him, were the signs he couldn’t see.

 

“Staying cooped up inside when you’re not working isn’t doing you any good”

 

“Did you have a case for me hyung?” Taehyung questioned, dismissing Hoesok’s soon to be lecture.

 

Hoesok pointedly stares at Taehyung, arms crossed in displeasure.

 

“Yeah” Hoeosk says, head gesturing towards the manila case folder on his desk with the agency’s logo on the front. “You’ll be working with an individual struggling to stay off the streets. Father died when he was a kid, currently estranged from his mother. Doesn’t seem to communicate with extended family”

 

Taehyung nods, as he clutches the folder to his chest. He doesn’t know what to say to his hyung. A hyung who cares about Taehyung, when Taehyung can’t seem to care about himself. So he gives a 90 degrees bow, his long uneven bangs shielding his face, effectively hiding his nervous lip bite and brows furrowing with uncertainty he only gets when starting a new case. He fails to notice his body shuddering.

 

Hoesok fails to notice.

 

Taehyung makes his way out of the office giving out a barely audible “thanks hyung”

 

When Hoesok first meet Taehyung, he’d saw a kid freshly out of college and desperately looking to do something with his degree. Hoesok had turned him down, promising him he’d save a spot open for him. Told him to really think about what he wanted to do with his degree, if social work was the right path. Taehyung feeling defeated and unsure, wanted the reassurance that he hadn’t just spent 4 years and thousands of dollars on something useless. Hoesok hoped the boy would come back.

 

A month later, he saw a kid ready to do something with his degree, to change the lives of people. High spirits and filled with empathy, Taehyung was a perfect edition to his team.

 

A year later, he saw a kid slowly being consumed by the despair the world clutched on too. It was then Hoesok believed, Taehyung had too much empathy. So much so, that the world didn’t deserve half of it.

**Author's Note:**

> Had this fic in the works for...over a year, as in I took a very long break...lol  
> hope you all enjoyed, I apologize for any grammatical errors....


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